Human (Sentōru no Nayami)
Humans are a sapient mammalian species with highly variable body forms. Currently, they can be divided in at least seven distinct subgroups: "winged", "dragon", "horned", "long-ears", "faun", "centaur" and "mermaid". However, members of these groups are all capable of interbreeding with each other, potentially producing offspring that may acquire traits from two or more subgroups (i.e. winged long-ears, horned mermaids, etc.). An additional subgroup, the "tigermen" used to inhabit Asia, but are currently thought to be extinct. Biology Like all land-based vertebrates, Humans evolved from a six-limbed ancestral body plan. The first pair of limbs forms the arms, and the last one forms legs - except in "mermaids", in which the legs have fused together to form a long, serpentine tail useful for their aquatic existence. The central pair of limbs has developed differently in each subgroup. In the "winged" and "dragon" varieties, it became a pair of wings (even though they're not capable of flight). In "centaurs" and "tigermen", the central limbs have become legs, similar to the last pair, resulting in that these forms are quadruped. In "mermaids" the central limbs are small fins, almost vestigial, located at the base of the tail. The "horned", "long-ears" and "faun" varieties have lost their central limbs altogether, and retain only four limbs: two arms and two legs. Culture and society Historically, the Human race has had a very tumultuous history, plagued by beliefs of superiority held by one or more subgroups over the others, which have generated centuries of discrimination, conflicts and outright war. Even today, most countries still have to struggle to maintain peaceful coexistence and equality, employing rigid anti-discrimination laws. Scientists often speculate that if it wasn't for the evolutionary providence of a six-limbed ancestor, such conflicts wouldn't exist, i.e.: a hypothetical world in which Human ancestors had only four limbs would result in modern Humans all having the same overall body plan with only insignificant differences (for instance, in hair and skin coloration) and therefore racism and discrimination would not occur. Whether that speculation holds true is debatable, however. Subtypes *'Winged People' (翼人), a.k.a. "Angels" - Bipedal form, distinguished for having a pair of feathered wings which, although useless for flight, are still useful to help keep them warm during cold days. They're also notable for their hair, which forms a ring-shaped structure known as a halo. Their ears are small and rounded, located on the sides of the head. They're also the only subgroup that lacks a tail. *'Dragon People' (竜人), a.k.a. "Imps" - Bipedal form which possesses membranous wings, similar to a bat or dragon. Like the "angels", they're not capable of flight. Their ears are long and pointed, and located on the sides of the head. They have a long tail with a triangular tip. *'Horned People' (角人), a.k.a. "Satyrs" - Bipedal form which, like their name suggests, possesses a pair of curved horns on the head. Their ears are located on the top of the head and similar to those of a rabbit. This same kind of ears is also present in Fauns and Centaurs. They have a relatively short tail. *'Long-Ears' (長耳人) - Bipedal form with a long, highly flexible tail. Despite what their name suggests, their ears are vaguely cat-like and aren't at all longer from those of the Satyrs, Fauns, Centaurs and Tigermen. *'Fauns' (牧神人) - Bipedal form which looks very much similar to the Satyrs, with the exception of having digitigrade, goat-like legs ending in hooves. *'Mermaids' (人魚) - Aquatic form with legs that fuse together just before the knee level and form a long, serpentine tail with a fluke at the end. Their ears are small and rounded, like those of the Angels. They're also notable for the females typically having especially large breasts (possibly, it could serve to aid in buoyancy and/or to protect the thoracic organs from the cold). This is made even more noticeable for the fact that their culture has a different concept of nudity in which both males and females typically go topless. *'Centaurs' (人馬) - Quadruped form with the lower body resembling that of a horse. They're known for their great speed. Their ears are similar to those of Satyrs and Fauns. *'Tigermen' (人虎) - Extinct, quadruped form with the lower body resembling that of a tiger. Their ears are similar to those of Long-Ears. They're notable for their strictly carnivorous diet, which some believe may have contributed to their extinction since they weren't as adaptable as other forms. Gallery SentoruNoNayami-Nozomi.jpg|An example of a "dragon person", a.k.a. "imp". SentoruNoNayami-Manami.jpg|An example of a "winged person", a.k.a. "angel" SentoruNoNayami-Kyouko.jpg|An example of a "horned person", a.k.a. "satyr". SentoruNoNayami-Longear.jpg|An example of a "long-ear". SentoruNoNayami-Nozomi'sAunt.jpg|An example of a "faun". SentoruNoNayami-Mermaid1.jpg|An example of a "mermaid". SentoruNoNayami-Centaur.jpg|An example of a "centaur". SentoruNoNayami-Tigerman.jpg|Reconstruction of the extinct "tigerman" type. SentoruNoNayami-SueAndFaunGirl.jpg|A young "faun" girl and an infant "angel"-"long-ears" hybrid. SentoruNoNayami-Mermaids.jpg|Several "mermaids" attending school. SentoruNoNayami-HimeAndShino.jpg|Young "centaurs" practicing archery. SentoruNoNayami1.jpg|Several humans and an Antarctican. Notes *These "humans" are one of the three sapient species in the Sentōru no Nayami universe; the others being Amphibians and Antarcticans. *Clearly, most of the human subgroups are inspired by - and in some cases named after - traditional legendary species from the real world. While the "winged" and "dragon" forms have been clearly inspired by angels and imps, respectively (and English translations call them just that), there's nothing supernatural about them and no attempts to identify one form as "good" and the other as "evil" or anything of the sort. Category:A Centaur's Life Universe Category:Fictionalized Species Category:Creatures Created by Kei Murayama Category:Sentient Beings Category:Sapient Beings Category:Comic Book Creatures Category:Homeotherms Category:Mammals Category:Animated Creatures Category:Characters Debuting in 2011